Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp praised Alexis Mac Allister and his stats against Bournemouth showed exactly why
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shared his delight over the performance of Alexis Mac Allister in the deep midfield against Bournemouth. The Reds manager’s claims about Mac Allister received strong backing from the stats Mac Allister boasted during the game.
Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-0 in the Premier League clash at Vitality Stadium to remain at the top of the table. Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez opened the account early in the second half followed by two goals from Diogo Jota.
Nunez wrapped up the game in the extra time of the second half with the fourth goal for the Reds. The Reds dominated 61% of the possession against an on-form Bournemouth side on their home turf.
Liverpool’s midfield consisted of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and Mac Allister with the Argentine playing as a number six. The Reds’ number 10 has played frequently as a number six this season since signing for Liverpool in the summer.
The 25-year-old’s favourable position is as a number 8 or a number 10, yet he has shown his incredible versatility. His dominant performance helped mitigate the absence of the Reds’ vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and defensive midfielder Wataru Endo.
Klopp praised Mac Allister’s performance during his post-match press conference (h/t Liverpoolfc.com), applauding his overall contribution from the midfield. He said:
“Absolutely exceptional performance, I have to say. I’m so happy for us, obviously, but for him as well, he’s a really good footballer, let me say it like that. Defensively did a good job and offensively he is anyway a super-important player for us, he was calm on the ball, all the good things in the first half already happened with him. Yeah, really happy.”
Klopp has played Trent as a number six whenever he deployed Joe Gomez or Conor Bradley in the right-back position. Currently sidelined with a knee injury, Trent’s absence puts pressure on others to step up and take up the playmaking mantle.
No Liverpool player has made more tackles in a Premier League game in the last eight seasons than Alexis Mac Allister against Bournemouth (9).
— Squawka (@Squawka) January 21, 2024
He also won possession 15 times and won 14 duels. pic.twitter.com/YgDVORq4Lv
Plenty of football critics have questioned the decision to play Mac Allister in a deeper role. The general reason behind the criticism is the limitation of Mac Allister’s attack skills in the deeper position. Furthermore, the Argentine isn’t well-known for his defensive prowess which is a traditional main requirement in the role.
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Stat-based site Squawka (h/t X) reported that Mac Allister’s registered highest tackles (nine) by a Liverpool player in a Premier League game in the last eight seasons. The impressive stats proved Klopp is indisputably one of the best managers in the world with his astute assessments.
Mac Allister has played a pivotal role in the early success of Klopp’s “Liverpool 2.0.” His consistency will play a key role as the Reds look to continue their form in the second half of the season.
